The Gore District Council is made up of 11 Councillors and a Mayor. The Mayor is elected district-wide. Here you can find out how to contact your councillor and the Code of Conduct they work by.

This is where you will find information about how the Council works, our meetings and agendas, and the management team.

Here you will find out all about our youth council, its meetings and what it does during the year.

A good chinwag has always been at the heart of community. We recognise this and seek to revive the art of conversation with the introduction of a new community digital newsletter, ChinWag. It will replace our monthly Noticeboard page and the Hokonui Herald.

Road conditions, tenders and all the latest public notices can be found here

Find out about your rates, rates rebates and payment options as well as search our properties database.

A good chinwag has always been at the heart of community. We recognise this and seek to revive the art of conversation with the introduction of a new community digital newsletter, ChinWag. It will replace our monthly Noticeboard page and the Hokonui Herald.

Guidelines

Exercising your dog

We recognise the exercise and recreational needs of dogs and their owners, and there are areas where dogs can be exercised at large. The person responsible for the dog must carry a leash and have the dog under continuous control. They must also remove and dispose of any droppings left by their dog.

The exercise areas are

Gore

River Street flood bank

Woolwich Street walnut plantation

River Terrace

Hamilton Park – perimeter only NOT on the sports field

Mataura

East river bank below the main bridge

South bridge area by Waimumu Stream

Areas where dogs are prohibited are

Children’s playgrounds.

All school grounds.

The designated playing area of all marked sports grounds.

Cemeteries.

Gore Public Gardens

Ardwick Street Reserve

Newman Park

Wayland Park

Hyde Park

Triangle Reserve

Henderson Park

Dolamore Park Scenic Reserve

Croydon Bush Scenic Reserve

There will be areas where, from time to time, a temporary ban will be put in place because of wildlife, stock or other issues. The Council will publicly notify such bans by way of signage and advertising.

Microchipping

A dog must be microchipped when

It is first registered, whether at three months of age or over

Has been impounded and is unregistered

Has been impounded a second time

Is one of the following breeds - Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Pitt Bull Terriers or predominantly pit bull types

Has been classified as menacing or dangerous

Working farm dogs do not need to be microchipped except if they are impounded while unregistered.

Barking dogs

Dogs bark for various reasons such as attention seeking, cold, hunger or loneliness. The main cure is time and patience. If you can correct the reason for the barking, the dog will settle down.

Cold or hungry - change the environment to make it content. Feed the dog, give it a warm dry place to sleep, keep it close to you and, if it is a puppy, put a loud clock in its bed. This will sound like company.

Attention seeking - if you growl the dog each time it barks it gets the attention it wants and will continue to bark. Unpleasant results increase the dog's anxiety and result in the dog seeking more attention. Observe its behaviour, say 'no', or 'bad dog' as it is about to bark. This will break its attention. Call the dog, say 'sit' and 'stay', then reward it for its good behaviour.

Denning Principle - if the dog barks when you are out give it a small den such as a bathroom or laundry. Feed the dog in there so it always feels positive about the room. Give the dog a bone or biscuit when you shut it away when leaving the house. This method works well for training pups and when you are away routinely.

Dog owners' obligations under legislation

Under the Dog Control Act 1996, dog owners are responsible for:

(a) Ensuring their dog is:

Currently registered.

Properly fed, watered, exercised, housed and cared for.

Kept under the direct control of a person, or confined in such a manner that it cannot freely leave any property on which it is being kept.

Kept muzzled and leashed at all times in public where it is classified as a dangerous or menacing dog.

Kept confined in an enclosed yard and is adequately exercised where it is a bitch in season or is infected with mange, distemper or other infectious disease.

Microchipped as required by the Dog Control Act 1996 (as amended 2004).

Comply with the requirements of the Dog Control Act 1996 and all regulations and bylaws made under that Act.

When you take your dog out in any public place, land or premises, you must remove and properly dispose of all faecal matter deposited by your dog.

Keeping your dog (and cat) safe at Guy Fawkes

Keep pets inside: Give your dog extra exercise during the day and allow it to go to the toilet before securing it inside

Block all exits: Especially for cats – make sure all cat doors are locked and your cat is inside before dark.

Minimise noise: Close the curtains to soften the noise and the light effects from fireworks. Turn on the TV or radio to muffle the noise from fireworks.

Provide somewhere safe: Make sure your pet has extra bedding to help them feel secure or make a special place, such as under a bed, for them to hide.

Distraction: Give your dog or cat something to play with to distract them from the noise.

Help them stay calm: Talk to your vet about products that can help with anxiety during this stressful time.

Make pets identifiable: As well as its registration tag, make sure your dog is wearing some form of ID.

Sheep Measles

The Gore District has a strong rural link and the spread of sheep measles by dogs is an issue. We encourage dog owners to find out how they can prevent the spread of this disease.

Why is this an issue?

While sheep measles does not infect or cause disease in humans, they are considered defects and undesirable by local and overseas customers. Each year farmers suffer financial loss as a result of lambs being condemned or downgraded for sheep measles.

How is sheep measles spread?

Dogs become infected by eating raw sheep or goat meat, including the heart, infected with live cysts. A tapeworm develops in the intestine of the dog in approximately 35 days. Infected dogs pass many thousands of eggs in their faeces contaminating pasture grazed by sheep and goats. There are no outward signs that your dog has a tapeworm.